December 6, 2006

THE THINKING SPOT

Iraq Study Group: Situation 'grave and deteriorating ((Are we supposed to thank these guys for their magnificent grasp of the obvious?...And take a look at the timing: they're looking at a withdrawal by the end of the 1st quarter of 2008; right in time for the elections.))

ALERT

Thousands of Taco Bells Toss Green Onions
http://tinyurl.com/yyfuub

WAR

Ellsberg Says Bush Plans to Nuke Iran - Writing in the newspaper “Dagens Nyheter” Wednesday, Ellsberg says George Bush and Dick Cheney are using the threat of such an attack to force a change of regime in Tehran.
http://tinyurl.com/yhdo8p

Democrats Launch Series of Strategy Sessions on Iraq War - The House Democratic Caucus met Tuesday in closed session with three experienced critics of the Bush administration's conduct of the war in Iraq to work out a proposed war-extrication plan. The session was closed to allow legislators to freely speak their mind about the war, its consequences and the future, said Kristie Greco, caucus communications director.
http://tinyurl.com/y5p9zu

Al-Maliki to Call for Regional Meeting - "After the political climate is cleared, we will call for the convening of a regional conference in which these countries that are keen on the stability and security of Iraq will participate."
http://tinyurl.com/y85uwc

Media Sham for Iraq War - It's Happening Again - The current media travesty is a drumbeat for the idea that the US war effort must keep going. And again, in its news coverage, the New York Times is a bellwether for the latest media parade to the cadence of the warfare state."
http://tinyurl.com/yyusl7

Panel to Urge Pressure on Iraq - The bipartisan Iraq Study Group plans to recommend to President Bush that he threaten to reduce economic and military support for Iraq's government if it fails to meet specific benchmarks intended to improve security in the country, a source familiar with the report said yesterday.
http://tinyurl.com/y98oxe

THE WHITE HOUSE

Snow Doesn’t Answer One Question At WH Briefing…Goes After Reporter For Being “Partisan”...
http://tinyurl.com/yfpjm6

Cheney's Lesbian Daughter Said To Be Pregnant...
http://tinyurl.com/yggaxd

CABINETS, COMMISSIONS, etc

Audit says FEMA squandering Katrina aid FEMA was unable to locate dozens of laptops, printers and other items that federal employees purchased with government-issued credit cards for Katrina disaster work. In one case, FEMA purchased 20 flat-bottom boats, but could not find two of them and lacked titles to any of them.
http://tinyurl.com/ymrg2k

EPA Stifles Internal Wetlands Protection Protests
http://tinyurl.com/y9fb5f

SCANDAL

FBI Taps Cell Phone Microphones in Mafia Case ((When I am not actually using my cell phone, I leave it on top of this old AM radio tuned to a good music station.))
http://tinyurl.com/y8egnq

Big Brother is listening: Government can eavesdrop on your life by secretly listening through your cell phone:
http://tinyurl.com/yjjvnr

ELECTION ITEMS

Effort Underway To Encourage George Clooney To Run Against GOP's Mitch McConnell...
http://tinyurl.com/yzhakm

ECONOMY

McClatchy sees advertising revenue down in first half of 2007
http://tinyurl.com/shzwp

Georgia foreclosures jump 99%; rate is nation's 3rd highest
http://tinyurl.com/y9z66g

911

Actor James Brolin Latest Celebrity To Publicly Doubt 9/11 - Actor James Brolin, the husband of Barbara Streisand, has today become the latest celebrity figure to publicly question the official story behind 9/11, after he encouraged viewers of a top rated ABC talk show to check out a 9/11 truth website.
http://tinyurl.com/yhep3s

Fire claims life of daughter of airline pilot killed on 9/11 --- Wendy Burlingame's death was being investigated as a suspicious death, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio.
http://tinyurl.com/ya9gyj

HERO OF 9/11 WON'T STOP SPEAKING OUT AGAINST BUSH For Mr Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico, swears his ordeal began before the first plane hit the Twin Towers. He claims that the White House failed to act, and accuses the government of being involved in "sponsored terrorism" in a bid to find a motive to invade Iraq. He brought his argument to a Westcountry audience on Wednesday, when he spoke in Torquay as part of the Global Truth movement.
http://tinyurl.com/ybvmxn

CONGRESS

“Annoyed” Senators Blast FBI Head Over Domestic Spying...
http://tinyurl.com/ycdbmt

Congress Must Insist Bush Isn't Above Law - activists and legal scholars are organizing to pressure Democrats to begin impeachment hearings. And the incoming chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers, has issued two remarkable studies on abuses of presidential authority, raising the question of impeachable offenses."
http://tinyurl.com/y7rabx

RELIGIOUS ITEMS

Email scammers bilking churches - One group of prominent Christians lost $350,000 to Nigerian scammers.
http://tinyurl.com/yf4ocx

ENVIRONMENT

California condors being decimated by hunters' use of lead ammo:
http://tinyurl.com/wwv9g

Researcher calling for ban of plastics chemical says major chemical company tried to silence his report:
http://tinyurl.com/yxlrep

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Ex-Agent: CIA Seed Money Helped Launch Google - An ex-CIA agent has gone further than ever before in detailing Google's relationship with the Central Intelligence Agency, claiming sources told him that CIA seed money helped get the company off the ground and naming for the first time Google's CIA point man.
http://tinyurl.com/y9q2e4

INTERNATIONAL

IS ENGLAND A "DEAD LOSS?" - Homeowners in Britain are now living in fear. The only possible result of such incredible assaults on life style and the will to get ahead will be for neighborhoods to begin to decay as people refuse to make repairs or upgrades. This is the core of wealth redistribution schemes and their obvious result --poverty for all.
http://tinyurl.com/ynegt5

Malaysia seeks to censor internet blogs that cause "disharmony":
http://tinyurl.com/uqx2u

MILITARY

Investigation Reveals Military Punishing Wounded Troops
http://tinyurl.com/vgta2

HEALTH

Many Americans too illiterate to understand prescription medication labels:
http://tinyurl.com/yy3dt9

Cell Phones not Linked to Cancer - Chatting on your cell phone won't put you at risk for cancer, according to a new study out of Denmark.
http://tinyurl.com/ydqy87

Hypnosis found to reduce anxiety during breast biopsies:
http://tinyurl.com/sjytb

HUMAN RIGHTS

Courageous Chinese Lawyers - Harassed when they defend individuals against local government abuses, these courageous Chinese lawyers deserve vast support internationally. (French to English translation)
http://tinyurl.com/y7pd37